Kind of Strange
by Angelic Temptress
Summary: Huntress and Question: A story book romance... But not really. What does the League's most disturbing couple do when no one is around? And are they haunted by their pasts?


Kind of Strange

By: The Angelic Temptress

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: "To Another Shore"

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Thanks to Missy, of course. :-

XxX

When she was younger the only man she knew without a face was Mel Gibson in that movie she hated so much.

Things were, of course, very different now.

Huntress carefully aimed her wrist launcher and shot the dart at the man standing behind Question. A second later, Q threw the last man into the brick wall.

It was just another night in Hub City.

"Thanks."

She smiled and lowered her arm. "Any time. You get it?"

Q lifted his hand to reveal the disk they came to _borrow_. "Does it look like I did?" When she smiled, he added, "Don't they know that it's only getting easier for us to find these things?"

"Maybe not." Huntress bent to pick up the crossbow she dropped earlier in the fight. "What else do we need?"

He answered with a question. "Are you required to be in Gotham tonight?"

She snorted. "Please. You think Batgirl wants me there? She and Batman have got the city covered, and Black Canary is always willing to lend a hand."

"Uh huh." A silence hung in the air, and Question shook his head before breaking it. "Well, maybe if you hadn't caused that rift between Nightwing and Batgirl…"

She glared. "That was a rift bound to be rifted. Honestly. They stopped talking. Entirely. I think it has a lot to do with other _things_. And I haven't seen much less talked to Nightwing in nearly forever."

Q shrugged and then started for his car. "Let's go back to my place."

Helena's smile widened. "What do we plan on doing there?" she asked and caught up to him. "Because I have this idea that involves you, me, and –"

"The disk needs checking."

She groaned. "The disk wasn't involved."

"Unfortunately for you, I am still a part of the League."

"Even though you tried to kill Luthor last summer," she said bluntly and lowered her eyes. "Funny how they can look past that and not invite me in again."

Vic shook his head. "That's completely different. I wasn't in my right mind, in the sense that I didn't quite understand that our Superman would never kill Lex." He opened the door for Helena and closed it when she climbed in. He then circled the car and got in as well. "Anyway, if Lexcorp has any information on the wiring of these criminals, it'll be very helpful."

"And why do you think Lex is behind it?"

"Both Green Lantern and Wonder Woman spoke of criminals whose minds gave out on them. Interestingly enough, it happened when they were being questioned. Also, Lex is constantly a pivotal player in these things. He and Braniac ran the last show."

"But that was the _last_ show," Huntress remarked candidly. "There could always be a new bad guy."

"Call me 'Old Fashioned,' then."

"How about Ace? She has that kind of power."

"Luthor has resources."

Helena decided to lay off the topic of Luthor. "You think the mind-blowing games are connected."

"Of course they are."

XxX

Helena opened her brown eyes and sat up. The bed was a mess, but she was the only one in it. Vic sat at his computer wearing nothing but his sweatpants. She sighed and wrapped the sheet around her body before walking to his side.

His mask was missing, revealing his true face and reddish hair. She huffed to get his attention. He didn't respond.

"Morning to you, too."

"I'm almost finished." He closed the program and glanced at her. "What?"

She raised an eyebrow and gently touched his mussed hair. "Find anything?"

"No."

"It's early," she stated. "Come back to bed."

Vic frowned. "I'm scheduled to be in the Metro Tower soon," he muttered and set his hands on her hips.

"I don't give a damn. You're mine until I head home."

He sighed too. "Not according to the League."

Helena groaned and ripped away from Vic. After stomping to his rumpled bed, she crawled on and covered her head with the comforter. After a few moments, his weight made her side of the mattress rise. She felt him mold his body against hers as she tried to tear free.

"I'm going to play little girl."

His hand traced her hip, and she couldn't help smiling.

"Who wants you to?" he whispered into the comforter where her ear was hiding below. "Don't I like you the way you are?"

She trembled. She hated when he sweetly asked her questions. "Don't do that."

"Why not?" Vic began digging through the sheets to find her and then rested himself on top of Helena. "I love when you get angry with me."

"You are the strangest boyfriend I've ever had."

He cracked a smile. "Did my ears deceive me, or did you just say that I'm your boyfriend?"

Her brown eyes widened. "I did not."

"You think I'm hearing things?"

"Maybe," she admitted. "You're a lunatic, remember?"

"And you are short-tempered, and it should be illegal for you to carry a crossbow."

This time, her eyes narrowed. "Remember that the next time I go out with you," she threatened and shoved him off. "I should get going. You're pissing me off, and I don't need a murder on my record."

Vic rolled over to kiss her temple and continued laying kisses down her face.

She pushed him away. "I'm not in the mood anymore." Helena sat up and flung her feet to the side of the bed. "I'm going to get dressed."

"You don't mean that."

"Want to bet?"

"Fine then. Go ahead."

Helena whirled her body around to face him. "You're throwing me out now?"

"You said you wanted to leave," Q said matter-of-factly.

"I didn't want to be thrown out, though."

"I don't quite see the difference, Helena."

Enraged, Helena crawled too him and slammed his upper body into the pillows. "You still want to try to throw me out?"

"Only if you promise to make it difficult."

XxX

Gotham was a scary place at night. Half of its streetlights didn't work, and half of its narrow alleys were full of drug dealers and convicts. She hated the city but felt as though she belonged there nonetheless.

Even _if_ both Batgirl and Black Canary couldn't stand her.

She was cold. That was another terrible fact of the city. It was always cold.

Helena wrapped her coat tighter around herself as she made her way to the stairs of her apartment building. Though she was the heir to her family's fortune, she never wanted to make it apparent; living in a middle-class apartment wasn't easy, but she managed.

Her keys clanked as she pulled them from her purse, and she opened the door. Artificial heat hit her like a brick. She was grateful.

Helena climbed the stairs to the second floor and rounded the corner. Her apartment was at the end of the hallway, away from most everyone else. She liked it that way.

After she opened the door and locked it behind her, she threw herself onto the sofa and yawned. The strenuous nights were finally getting to her, and she wondered why it took this long.

The entire mind-blowing thing was getting to Q. Though she hated admitting it, she worried about him. He was the type of guy who would get obsessive over something trivial and mad over something vital.

Her phone vibrated, and Madonna's "What it Feels Like to Be a Girl" began to play. Helena rolled her eyes and rummaged though her purse with one hand.

"Hello," she answered.

"Helena," was all he said.

She couldn't hide her smirk from her voice. "Yes?"

"I'm going to pull a late shift tonight."

Her jaw clenched. "What?"

"I'm covering for Lantern. He was called away on a Corps mission."

"You act as if I give a damn."

"I know I'm breaking our date, and I apologize."

"Uh huh," she muttered, unconvinced. "What the hell, Vic? Really."

He sighed. "I'll make it up to you. Dinner and a movie? Tomorrow?"

"You're trying my patience."

"And you're trying mine, Helena. You know we're shorthanded without J'onn."

"Fuck the League."

He stayed silent.

"I'll talk to you later." Helena closed her flip phone and threw it across the room where it smashed against the wall.

XxX

"So, you do this for fun now?"

Huntress glanced over her shoulder to watch Batgirl as she walked to where two robbers were dangling over Crime Alley. A single rope kept them from meeting a bloody fate.

"I call it 'An Ode to Batman.' Speaking of the man in black, did he forget to put the leash on you again?"

With a sneer, Batgirl placed her gloved hands on her hips. "I thought Canary and I told you that Huntress wasn't needed in Gotham."

She offered a faked smile. "You'd rather I be in Blüdhaven?"

The redhead's face fell for a second before she rolled her big blue eyes.

_It was her fault. She's the one who drove Nightwing away._ "I've got things to do."

Before Huntress could leave the roof, Batgirl blurted, "Have you talked to him?"

"What?" She whirled around with her eyebrows knitted together. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

Batgirl remained quiet and unmoving. She looked hurt. Something was wrong.

Huntress understood. "You had a fight with him."

"I haven't talked to him in –"

"No. Not him. _Him_. Your boss."

"That's none of your goddamn business."

She tilted her head in astonishment. "Didn't Nightwing tell you the same thing when you asked about his love life?"

Batgirl's jaw dropped. "I cannot believe you. We can't even have a conversation like normal people."

"Last time I checked, we weren't normal."

"Right. At least I'm not the one screwing the madman with no face."

Huntress narrowed her dark eyes and resisted calling the girl a bitch. "Honey, when your life starts resembling anything close to normal, you have my permission to criticize mine."

XxX

Four was a terrible number, especially when the sun wasn't up. Huntress snuck into her apartment and ripped off her mask. She wordlessly thanked the Lord for it being Sunday morning. She could sleep most of the day away before grading papers that afternoon.

"Now it's either very late or very early, Ms. Bertinelli. Which do you prefer?" Q asked from his seat on her sofa. His rumpled hat sat awkwardly on his head. "I believe your students wouldn't be allowed out at this hour."

"I thought you were working late."

"I was, and it is late."

"Right." Helena pulled off her purple gloves and tossed them into the Question's lap. As she unfastened her belt, she asked, "What the hell are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to screw yourself?"

"No. You actually told me to screw the League."

Devilishly, she arched an eyebrow. "On second thought, that might be too fun for you."

"On second thought, you may be correct." He stood after putting her gloves aside and went to stand before Helena. Vic rested his hands on her hips and questioned, "Are we okay?"

"I guess so. I was just –"

"Cranky?"

"Lonely," she said.

"Yeah. I know how that feels."

Helena leaned into Vic and kissed him where his mouth should have been. "Baby-doll, how about you keep me company tonight?"

"What makes you think you even have to ask?"

She didn't have to. She knew that.

Helena just didn't want him to know she knew.

XxX

"I'm so damn tired," Helena yawned as Vic set a cup of hot coffee beside her computer. It was around one o'clock, and she was grading the papers her students sent her online.

She was aggravated because it wasn't her "Advanced" class; the other classes tended to half-ass their work.

"How was your night?" he asked as he took a seat beside her.

She sighed. "I stopped a burglary and a carjacking, but I ran into the so very pleasant Batgirl."

"How's she?"

"Bitchy, rude, dim-witted, and did I mention bitchy?"

"Twice." He started playing with a lock of her wavy hair. "Do you blame her?"

Helena threw him a look that would make Superman shake in his red boots. "Yes," she answered bluntly. "Don't even try to turn the tables, Vic."

"Have you tried to look at it from her point of view?"

"Yes. I also looked at it from Dick's point of view." Helena spun in her chair to face her boyfriend. "She's sleeping with his mentor-slash-father. He was devastated."

"And you were there."

"And I was there," she echoed and leaned into Vic's chest. "And that was a long time ago."

Vic nodded. "I know."

"He didn't even have feelings for me."

"I know." He wrapped his arms around Helena and pulled her closer.

"And felt terrible afterwards."

Vic rested his chin atop of her head and whispered, "Want to know a secret?"

"Sure."

"Most of the League can't stand me."

She pulled away from his arms and snickered. "That's old news, baby. Even I can't stand you." She spun around again and continued correcting the paper. "How was work?"

"Same."

"Who did you share the shift with?"

"Shayera, Red Tornado, and Vigilante were on monitor duty as well."

She arched an eyebrow. "No wonder why GL left."

"I don't pay attention to that sort of thing."

She laughed and sent the paper back to its author via email. "So, how long can you stay tonight?"

"Probably until you leave for work in the morning. I work in Hub City at five."

"That's perfect because I can get my papers done. We don't have to have sex until later this evening."

He shook his head.

"And," she added. "We can take our time."

XxX

Helena kissed the face Vic hid under his bare mask and ran her fingernails over his strong chest. She then laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. After a few minutes of complete silence, she spoke.

"I should talk to Superman."

"Why?"

"Because J'onn is the one who kicked me out of the League and Batman was the one who went out on a limb to get me in. I think Superman might be compassionate enough to reconsider my coming back."

"You're going to try and play the system?"

"Well, sort of. I mean, if they vote, I'll probably get in. Superman, Flash, and Shayera will take my side."

"While Wonder Woman, Batman, and the Green Lantern vote against you," Vic countered and shook his head as best as he could. "It sounded like a great idea."

"But you could plead my case. Both Superman and Batman respect you."

"They respect Black Canary and Green Arrow too, and they were witnesses to your recklessness."

She shot up in bed. "I didn't _kill_ the bastard."

"No. You didn't kill him…"

Helena glared at her boyfriend and started, "But…?"

"…But you wanted to and would have if Canary and Arrow hadn't been watching Mandragora."

Her face twisted with confusion. "You don't think I'll get back in?" When he didn't answer, she huffed. "Well, I didn't want to be in that stupid club anyway."

Vic took hold of her wrist and tugged her back to his chest where she molded neatly against him. She felt Vic inhale and mimicked his deep breath.

Just as his breathing began to slow, she announced, "I want to have sex now."

Vic immediately rolled over and shoved his mouth onto hers before she could speak another word.

X End X


End file.
